I had a follow-up appointment today with Heather and Shamus, her handsome chocolate Lab. Shamus finished up his obedience several months ago, and we were just making sure he was still in tip-top shape. He's a supremely cool dog, and if he can figure out what you want, he'll do it. He'll be a freestyle obedience champ in no time!

Shamus has an older sister, Maro the Japanese Chin. I've always admired Chins, though I've never had the pleasure of owning one. Well, during Shamus's second ever obedience lesson almost a year ago, Maro was watching from her doggy bed under the entry table, as usual. (It was clear to both Heather and me that Maro didn't think she needed obedience lessons, thank you very much.) Shamus and I were working on his "sit", which in my program is an extremely fun and energetic session. Shamus and I were both taking a rest, panting hard, when I looked over and saw Maro lying royally in her cozy bed. It occurred to me that here was a hard-to-read dog, and I couldn't tell if she was feeling left out and just pretending not to care, or if she really didn't care. So I grabbed a yummy out of my bait bag and held it out to her with a hand covered in Shamus slobber, dog-dirt, and little brown Shamus hairs. Maro looked disdainfully at the treat, at my hand, then at my face. She stood up, turned deliberately around in her bed, and lay down facing away from us. I had clearly offended her badly.

Shamus did great in his follow-up lesson. Toward the end of the session Heather and I were sitting at her kitchen table having a glass of iced tea when in strode Maro. "Hi Maro!" I said cheerfully but with some gravity, to show my appreciation of her superior nature. Maro looked at Heather, then turned and walked right back out of the room. She never even glanced at me!

So, watch yourself around a Chin. They don't forget a slight, even if it's unintentional!

The Japanese culture has a term for that sense of honor/dishonor. Translated to English it is "face;" maybe where our expression "to lose face" comes from. You'd expect that sort of behaviour from a cat . . . or a samurai dog

__________________In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha

Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted.

There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe

***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation."
— Rumi
Be a god. Know when to shut up.